Differences in the English Language - American English + British English

[carpe_diem]

I don't know the terms for educational establishments in other countries.
Schooling in UK
    Nursery School/ playgroup ...up to 4/5yrs
    Infant school ... 4/5 to 7yrs
    Junior School ... 7 to 11yrs
    Secondary School ... 11 to 16 yrs
    6th form College ... 16 to 18 yrs
    University (aka Uni)

In some areas we have Comprehensive Schools for all ability levels,and Grammar schools for more able children from 11 yrs up.
There are other types of school as well - Middle school for ages 9 to 13 yrs - and Independent Schools which are not under state control

There is another category of education in the UK called Home Schooling - I did this with my son (now grown up) from birth to age 12 yrs - he then joined a local school so that he could study subjects that I did not feel competent to teach. Not many people do this but it is actually legal.

There are also really confusing categories for naming types of schools:- 
     State Schools which are for anybody regardless of income...
     Public Schools - most public schools are fee paying and are in the private sector (such as Eton and Harrow)
We have 'GCSE' and 'A' levels at 16yrs and 18 yrs ...then University degree....though there are a host of other qualifications as well.
 
Just to confuse the issue - Scotland has a different way of naming its types of schools and scholastic qualifications!!!

I would be interested to know how levels of attainment are named in other countries...

[Nikita]

AUST... suitcase        US...trunk

[Nikita]

Aust...
3 and 4 year-old kindergarten, then Primary school (approx 5-11...grades prepatory, 1-6... depending which state..some do an extra year of kinder), then High school (now being called secondary colleges) (12-18... years 7 to 12) then university.
Public school and state schools are the same... we either have public (free) or private (includes grammar, independent etc)
Universities have now amalgamated with colleges of advanced education and institutes of technology so most tertiary learning places are Unis. otherwise we have TAFES which you can go to from 15 onwards.Different states have different qualifications... NSW has HSC higher school certificate for Year 12, and Victoria has VCE (Victorian Certificate of education, done over years 11 and 12).
We can homeschool here too.

[KL]

There are also really confusing categories for naming types of schools:- 
     State Schools which are for anybody regardless of income...
     Public Schools - most public schools are fee paying and are in the private sector (such as Eton and Harrow)

I always have a hard time explaining to people that a "Public school" is actually a private one! 

We have 'GCSE' and 'A' levels at 16yrs and 18 yrs ...then University degree....though there are a host of other qualifications as well.

Once upon a time, there were also 'O' levels... oops, I'm starting to give away my age! 

[carpe_diem]

Very true - I did 'O' levels (ummm long ago ).

My Mum and my (much)older siblings took something called matriculation which I think was an examination which required a 'pass' in all the subjects taught at High School  (yes it was called 'High School' for Senior pupils before WW2 in my town)  Sometimes someone didn't pass and had to take the year again before they could matriculate and leave school. Of course that must have been in the dark ages 

At that time and up until I was 18, a pass in Maths and Latin at 'O' level was a requirement for University entrance - and Latin was not offered at all schoools so many young people did not have the chance to go to university.

[Nikita]

I think year 11 used to be leaving, year 12 matriculation when my mum was at school.

Aust...skipping... US jump rope
dressing-gown     ... bath robe

rockmelon  ... cantelope (I use both)

[Nikita]

I almost feel I'm talking to myself I reply to myself so much in this topic, but here goes again...

Australia....bottom  US...fanny
US...fanny       Aust...vagina (can u imagine how hilarious it is for Aussies to hear US people talking about patting people on their fannies?)

Aust handbag.... US purse (the purse to an aussie is the thing with money in it that goes in the handbag...the wallet..but only men have wallets)

Aust...lollies, sweets   US..candy
Aust fairy floss   US cotton candy
Aust...ute or utility  US..pick-up truck
Aust...tap    US..faucet
Aust..doctor or GP (general practicioner)  US..physician
Aust...pharmacy or chemists   US..drug store
Aust...milk bar     US general or corner store     NZ..dairy
Most places...rectangle   some places..oblong
Aust..icy pole  UK...popsicle  other places..ice lolly (frozen cordial ice water on a stick)
Aust...petrol   US..gas (gasolene)
Aust gas (LPG).... US...????
Aust...car (everything is "car")  US...car, vehicle, automobile
Aust...sandpit...US sandbox
Aust..couch  US..sofa
Aust...lounge-room US..living room

[Lappy]

OMG, I didn't know about fanny, and this is the first time I've ever heard about what it means in Australia! 

[now what in the world will the Aussies think when we talk about "fanny packs"?!? Hahaha!  ]

Thanks for the input Nikita, do keep them coming! I think I speak for everyone that we're learning a lot of new things in this thread! 

Oh, and one more thing to add:
Aust...pharmacy or chemists   
US...drug store
HK...I've seen that most of the local drug stores are called Pharmacies or Dispensaries  :tongue2:

[KL]

I knew the Australian/UK version of fanny, but never heard it said by Americans before.

Yes, Nikita, what a great job you are doing - karma for you!

[nhockaday]

we say butt...or another word...
*blushing* 

[Nikita]

aust...bum bags  US..fanny packs (we can figure out what you're talking about!)

aust..footpath  US..sidewalk

[nohayo]

Because english is my second language, I was really interested to know which english we use here (the Middle East in general)... and it turns out it's a mix of US and UK english

We have a more of an American accent (those who don't have an Arabic accent that is  ) but the vocab is a definite mix !  I guess the vocab goes back to the English colonisation and the accent to Hollywood ! 

[KL]

Yeah, even with previous British colonies, it's hard to escape the American influence with all those US TV series and Hollywood movies!

[Nikita]

Aust taxi, US..cab  I think the actual word is taxicab, just like pram is really perambulator..

[carpe_diem]

A few more to fill out the list........

US cotton candy   UK  candy floss       
US jello               UK jelly                  Aust  ???
US sofa               UK settee               Aust couch
US living room      UK sitting room        Aust lounge room

In the UK we have jam which is a preserve made with fruit and sugar - it has bits in - but if it has been strained and then put in jars (jam jars) then we call it jelly.  What is the name for these in US /Aust? is it the same?   We have 'bread and jam' though in Scotland in some areas they call that a 'Jeely piece', or a 'piece and jam'   

In the UK a familiar term for another person may be   'dear'   'love'    'darling'    'chuck'   'ducks'    'hen'    'flower'    'my handsome' (male) - they seem to vary depending on the area of the UK (these are just a few examples that spring to mind - there are many more) 

It seems to me that on the whole the Australian words seem more like ours in the UK

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